Monthly Archives: August 2017

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for Fire Danger for Mendocino and Lake Counties due to expected extreme heat, dryness and wind conditions. They say gusty east winds will develop tonight and continue through Friday morning with sustained speeds of 10-15 mph and gusts up to 20 mph. Combined with the low relative humidity and high temperatures, those winds could contribute to extreme fire behavior. They ask everyone to be very cautious and fire safe. An Excessive Heat Warning is in place until Monday with temps in the 100’s.

As for the smoke and haze currently visible throughout Lake County, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office says it’s the result of smoke coming into the area from the Helena Fire in Trinity County.

A man who left his ID behind after allegedly stealing from a store has been arrested. Willits Police responded to the Village Market Tuesday night where an employee said the suspect had walked out of the store with several items without paying. When the employee confronted him, the suspect began to fight over the stolen items but when police were called he took off. But when he ran he left behind the bag full of items he’d tried to steal along with his ID card. Kevin Betts of Willits was found a few blocks away near another store and arrested for robbery.

It’s “flu” season and the Lake County Public Health Division has announced its community flu vaccination clinic schedule. They recommend the vaccine for anyone 6 months of age or older and are offering them for $2. In September and October in Lakeport you can get flu vaccines on Wednesdays at the Public Health Division by appointment. On Saturday, October 14th there will be free flu vaccines at the Heroes of Health and Safety Fair at the Fairgrounds. In Clearlake there will be a clinic Wednesday, October 25th from 10 am to noon at the Senior Community Center.

The Lake County Fair is getting underway. The parade kicks off soon; starting at 530pm. Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for kids ages 6 through 11, and kids under 6 are admitted free. Parking is $9 per car, but that benefits local Boy Scouts. The Fair runs through Sunday. This year’s theme is: “Boots ‘n’ Bling!”

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for Fire Danger for Mendocino and Lake Counties due to expected extreme heat, dryness and wind conditions. They say gusty east winds will develop tonight and continue through Friday morning with sustained speeds of 10-15 mph and gusts up to 20 mph. Combined with the low relative humidity and high temperatures, those winds could contribute to extreme fire behavior. They ask everyone to be very cautious and fire safe. An Excessive Heat Warning is in place until Monday with temps in the 100’s.

As for the smoke and haze currently visible throughout Lake County, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office says it’s the result of smoke coming into the area from the Helena Fire in Trinity County.

A man who left his ID behind after allegedly stealing from a store has been arrested. Willits Police responded to the Village Market Tuesday night where an employee said the suspect had walked out of the store with several items without paying. When the employee confronted him, the suspect began to fight over the stolen items but when police were called he took off. But when he ran he left behind the bag full of items he’d tried to steal along with his ID card. Kevin Betts of Willits was found a few blocks away near another store and arrested for robbery.

It’s “flu” season and the Lake County Public Health Division has announced its community flu vaccination clinic schedule. They recommend the vaccine for anyone 6 months of age or older and are offering them for $2. In September and October in Lakeport you can get flu vaccines on Wednesdays at the Public Health Division by appointment. On Saturday, October 14th there will be free flu vaccines at the Heroes of Health and Safety Fair at the Fairgrounds. In Clearlake there will be a clinic Wednesday, October 25th from 10 am to noon at the Senior Community Center.

The Lake County Fair is getting underway. The parade kicks off at 530pm. Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for kids ages 6 through 11, and kids under 6 are admitted free. Parking is $9 per car, but that benefits local Boy Scouts. The Fair runs through Sunday. This year’s theme is: “Boots ‘n’ Bling!”

A new bridge is being built over Gibson Creek. Construction is set to start after the Labor Day long weekend, with pile driving. That should take until the end of next week to be done. They’ll be working Monday thru Friday from 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. and say it will have no impact on traffic. The new bridge is partly for the infrastructure development project for the new Mendocino County Courthouse, south of the Depot property. There will also be other new streets and utilities put in around the courthouse. The bridge will go from Hospital Drive to the south, and it will intersect with the extension of East Clay Street.

A man accused of starting two wildfires in Lake County is headed back after the state said no to a Competency Treatment Plan in Jail. A recommendation was given to the judge in the case of Merrill Craig Brown for Conditional Release Program for the Dept. of State Hospitals to give him meds. He’s pleaded not guilty to two arson counts, but his lawyer said he wasn’t competent to stand trial. That’s when the proceedings were suspended and a doctor was recommended to examine Brown. He’s accused of starting the fires near Lakeport and Kelseyville which were quickly put out. He’s in jail after telling cops he started the fires by accident. He’s held on $100,000 bail. He’s due back in court next week.

A woman wanted after a police chase has been arrested by a Sheriff’s Deputy in Sonoma County. Sadie Bardelmeier was found at a homeless camp in Santa Rosa by police who responded to another call near an elementary school Monday. They say the person they were looking for was gone so they went to the homeless camp which was supposed to have been vacated. The property owner had also recently put up no trespassing signs where police found two people in a new homeless camp. Police say when they tried to get identification on them, the woman have a phony name and was visibly nervous, she then ran off. Police chased her and warned her they had a taser, but she wouldn’t stop. The taser was shot at her and she was captured and gave her real name. She had a $200,000 arrest warrant from Sonoma County for vehicle theft and possession of stolen property and a $5,000 drug-related arrest warrant out of Lake County.

Locals doing their part to help those suffering in Texas after Hurricane Harvey. The Greenview Restaurant is collecting donations thru the Houston Flood Relief Fund which is being organized by Houston Texans player JJ Watt. The chef at the restaurant says everyone in Lake County remembers from two years ago what living thru a disaster is like, saying maybe they can give back to some who helped us.

A boy from Lucerne is recovering after being hit by a car, police say he rode in front of. The CHP says the 10-year-old Ashton Kruenegel had moderate injuries after the crash Monday afternoon. It happened at the intersection of Country Club Dr. and 14th Ave. Cops say the boy was headed southeast and a driver in a white 1999 Dodge Neon was headed east on Country Club Drive. The CHP says the boy rode right into the car’s path and hit its left front bumper, throwing the boy from his bike and hitting the car’s windshield, before coming to the ground. He was taken from the area in REACH air ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center. The Neon driver was not hurt. Police say they do not suspect drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash.

A man in Oroville’s been arrested after a massive fire destroyed ten homes and damaged five others. Fire officials say hundreds of other homes were threatened by the fire that started Tuesday. The fire is still burning along with several others around the state, including one near Yosemite National Park that closed a popular road into the park, closed the Wawona Hotel and evacuated nearby towns. Earlier this summer 58 homes near the park burned. The fire near Oroville has three more neighborhoods evacuated as the temperatures soared past 100. John Ballenger is accused of starting an illegal campfire. The fire after 41 other homes burned earlier this summer in the same area.

A man accused of running down the chief counsel from UC Berkeley near Guerneville apparently had been arrested several times in the past for public drunkenness and vandalism. The Monte Rio Fire Chief says the suspect, Jonathan Robert Murray Ritter, who was arrested Tuesday grew up in the Cazadero area and was now homeless. He’s accused of running down Christopher Patti last Sunday, then leaving the scene in a BMW. He’s charged with vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run causing death. The Fire Chief says Ritter was known to drink too much and they further accuse him of damaging public property several times. He’s also been convicted going back to 2011 for public intoxication and was arrested earlier this year for trespassing and vandalism, a case he never went to court for.

A new report’s out on the Oroville Dam that says, no, the dam is not leaking. The report after allegations by a catastrophic engineering expert who said the dam faced a breach danger from a serious and a dangerous form of a slow-motion failure mode. The same expert, from U-C Berkeley, who studied why the levees broke during Hurricane Katrina. The state Department of Water Resources continues to insist, there’s no risk to the public due to persistent green wet spots near the top left abutment of the dam, saying it’s just natural vegetation growth caused by rain.

The Humane Society of the U-S is bringing a new initiative to voters in Calif, cage free pigs and veal. After the groundbreaking win for the society about ten years ago for more space for egg-laying hens, the society is proposing the “Prevention of Cruelty to Farm Animals Act” which would strengthen rules for cage-free hens plus add on strict limits on confining calves and pigs. The CEO of the Humane Society says residents in California know locking farm animals in tight cages all of their life is cruel and compromises food safety. The group says some egg producers are trying to get around the earlier rules set in place by Proposition 2, so their new measure would require eggs come from “cage-free” hens that have 1 square foot of space each. That’s by the year 2019, then by 2021, all hens would have to live in cage-free systems.

Several Calif. mayors are urging the legislature to take on the state’s housing crisis. The mayors of Los Angeles, San Diego and several other cities met with lawmakers in Sacramento this week. They represent the 11 biggest cities in Calif. They say the state’s not putting up enough cash to subsidize affordable housing for low-income people and say there’s too many regulations getting in the way of housing development in areas where home prices are going up fast. There is a package of bills apparently being considered on the matter which include a $4 billion housing bond, a real estate transaction fee and regulatory reform.

The first ever marijuana career fair is planned. The Mendocino Cannabis Job Fair is happening next month in Willits. The Mendocino Cannabis Resource founder and organizer Karen Byars tells the Willits News there will be more than 2 dozen employers and exhibitors with job opportunities or a way at least to meet with the businesses in the county. Byars says she thinks it’s a great chance for employers in the Cannabis field to schmooze with others and raise awareness for the industry as a potential leader in the county. She says the businesses took a survey and more than 40 local employers said they needed trimmers and farming or gardening laborers. She also says they mostly hire contractors or part timers. They also have many other jobs including sales/marketing, accountants/bookkeepers, chefs, budtenders and security. The job fair is September 28 at the Little Lake Grange in Willits.

A woman in Montana is arrested after calling cops to complain about the quality of her meth. Police in Great Falls say the woman called 911 saying she got some “bad meth” which left a bad taste in her mouth. So cops went to Margery Dayrider’s house after she reported a bad reaction like throwing up, a tingling tongue and bad taste in her mouth. She told the cops she did meth 3 times a day, every day, and had never experienced this before. The cop found some meth inside her bra and she was arrested for felony narcotics possession. Plus police found she had other warrants out for her arrest.

A boy from Cobb has major injuries after crashing his dirt bike into a pickup truck on Tuesday morning. 12-year-old Philip Mount was flown to UC Davis after he collided with the truck on Hoberg Drive around 7am. The CHP says the boy turned left onto Hoberg Drive South, where the pickup was stopped at the intersection, but as he made the turn, the dirt bike clipped the truck’s bumper, throwing the boy over the handlebars. He was wearing a helmet but suffered major injuries. The CHP says no drugs or alcohol were involved. The truck driver was not hurt.

Eleven mosquitos and one chicken have now tested positive for West Nile virus in Lake County. The Lake County Vector Control District and Lake County Public Health Department say the chicken is from a sentinel flock in Upper Lake, and the mosquitoes were collected in Clearlake, Clearlake Oaks, Lower Lake and Middletown. With Labor Day weekend approaching Lake County Health Officer Dr. Karen Tait says holidays and warm weather are great reasons to be outdoors but you should protect yourself against mosquito bites. They recommend using repellents containing DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus. And Vector Control reminds you to frequently check your backyard for standing water and dump it out.

A man police were looking for in the fatal hit and run crash that killed UC Berkeley’s top lawyer in Guerneville has been arrested. Jonathan Ritter was arrested yesterday after he surrendered in Monte Rio. The CHP had been searching for the guy for two days after Christopher Patti, the main campus counsel at Berkeley was killed on Highway 116 Sunday morning. Ritter was questioned then officers were set to take him to Sonoma County Jail for booking on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit and run causing death. Police apparently had multiple tips as to where Ritter was so they set up a sting to nail him, but found he was hiding elsewhere. He came out with his hands up near the amphitheater in Monte Rio.

A motorcycle rider had major injuries after a crash near Cobb in Lake County. The CHP says the rider may have been a teenager in the crash yesterday north of Middletown on Hoberg Drive off Hwy 175. The rider was taken by medical helicopter to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

An Excessive Heat Watch has been issued for most of Mendocino County. The National Weather Service announced the alert for tomorrow afternoon all the way through the Labor Day weekend into Monday night. Forecasters also say parts of the county will be at High Heat Risk Friday and Saturday and say some areas will get to the highest level at: Very High Heat Risk, on Saturday. The Office of Emergency Services reports they’re monitoring the weather and various alerts thru this week, into the weekend and will be putting out any needed updates.

A man accused of running down and killing another man in Willits, then leaving the scene, has been found guilty. The Mendocino County D-A’s Facebook page posted the deliberations ended yesterday in the case against 20 year old Justin Phillips who was accused of driving a truck that ran down and killed Donald Wagner in December of 2015. The young man was also accused of leaving the victim to die because he didn’t stop and offer first aid or call for help. Phillips was found guilty of several crimes including, vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, leaving the scene of an accident where serious bodily injury has been inflicted and engaging in a speed contest causing serious bodily injury. There’s another felony case against him, which goes to trial next month, so sentencing may happen after that.

City staffers in Clearlake still working up a Commercial Cannabis Ordinance. The Record Bee reports the city being approached by many, to start up marijuana related businesses. The newspaper reports the city manager saying there’s been many changes in laws that need to be in place next year, so they’re trying to have local regulations in place before state law kicks in regarding cannabis licenses. The city manager also tells the paper that the Marijuana Ad Hoc Committee has met several times already to move on possible ordinances which look like they’re in favor of allowing Commercial Cannabis businesses. Right now the city only allows for up to three retail dispensaries. The city is considering various ideas for businesses, including one that wants to deliver pot to places out of Clearlake.

Lawmakers head back to Sacramento to take up major issues including marijuana regulations. The legislators are also working on other issues, but the recreational market opens in January. The two North Coast lawmakers covering our area, Assemblyman Jim Wood of Healdsburg and Sen. Mike McGuire, also of Healdsburg, are working on legislation to regulate cannabis including the regulation of marketing and advertising of cannabis products, nonprofit status, storefront vs. delivery service, marijuana DUI detection, federal vs. state laws regarding medical and legal use and whether businesses can deduct expenses if they’re in the marijuana field.

2 people accused in a counterfeiting case in Lakeport have pleaded not guilty. Louis Anthony Lopez and Christina Williams are charged with possessing counterfeiting plates and possessing forged items after their arrest in June. Cops had been investigating a possible counterfeiting ring at a downtown motel then when they went to the scene, they found several items they say were evidence of the operation. Police also took a car connected to the pair and say there was paper, ink, soap, printing equipment and other items commonly used in counterfeiting. The two will go to trial the first week of September and will likely stay in custody until that time.

Local marijuana growers show up at the regular Mendocino County Board of Supervisors meeting saying they probably won’t work with the track and trace vendor, SICPA. The Calif. Growers Association at the meeting as the supervisors started revisions on the Cannabis Cultivation Program. The Growers Association representative, Casey O’Neill says it’s too late in the season to get the program going. Others at the meeting yesterday agreed and also said it wasn’t set up in a way that works with their businesses and that it would cut off growers in the county from outside processors or dispensaries who don’t have the extra red-tape. Others raised concerns about possible industrial operations on nonindustrial-zoned properties.

There’s been another arrest in connection to the armed robbery and a kidnapping at pot farm in Covelo last month. The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reports a fifth suspect was arrested for the July 16th robbery at a remote property on Hwy 162. The group told the property owner they were cops, but the victim said he thought they were lying and wanted to steal the grow. Police say they shot guns and the property owner ran and called 9-1-1, saying he thought someone else he lives with was still at the property hiding. As cops arrived, the suspects took off. 3 people were immediately caught but they abandoned a truck with guns and stolen property inside. A SWAT team arrested the trio, who were held on $150,000 bail each for suspicion of armed robbery, kidnap for ransom, and conspiracy. The next day another suspect was arrested and further charged with kidnapping for the other resident. That person was said to be okay. Then this week, the fifth suspect was busted and also held for other thefts in Redwood Valley.

2 people are recovering after a driver plowed into them Monday on Perkins Street. Ukiah Police say a 44-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were found lying in the street Monday afternoon after being hit by a silver Buick. They say the Buick driver was a 48-year-old woman from Redwood Valley who hit the man and woman as they were in a crosswalk going towards State Street. The man reportedly had a head injury. Both victims went to Adventist Health Ukiah Valley hospital.

An Excessive Heat Watch is posted for late this week that will last through at least Labor Day Weekend. The Mendocino County Office of Emergency Services says the Watch is for the majority of Mendocino County from Thursday afternoon through Monday evening. They say certain areas of the county will be at High Heat Risk with forecasters are predicting Ukiah at 106 Thursday and 111 Friday and then temperatures in the low 100’s through next week. Lake County is also under the Watch with highs in the 100’s from Thursday through at least Tuesday.

A fire that popped up this morning in Lakeport is contained. A Cal Fire official tells Lake County News the fire was on an access road to Granite Construction off Highway 175 about half a mile west of Mathews Road. Lakeport Fire, Kelseyville Fire and Cal Fire all responded – including a copter and air tanker – and the fire was contained by early afternoon. The cause is under investigation but they say there were some power lines down when they arrived.

If you’d like to learn to help your community in times of disaster, the Red Cross is hosting a volunteer recruitment fair in Lakeport next week. It’s Wednesday, September 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lakeport Fire Department on North Main St. Red Cross volunteers are trained to meet the needs of those affected by disasters, providing food, shelter and comfort for families affected by major disasters such as fires, floods, and earthquakes. Volunteers make up about 90 percent of the total Red Cross workforce. This volunteer recruitment fair includes an orientation, the volunteer application and a disaster services overview. Lunch will be provided. They ask you to RSVP to Nicole Massey, the Volunteer and Youth Services manager, by Friday, Sept. 1. You can email her at volunteersmm or call 707-577-7734.

Caltrans has wrapped up air operations at the large landslide on Highway 101 north of Leggett so while you will still have delays through work zone, they should be shorter delays. The Slide initially closed the highway on April 18 and it’s been only one-way traffic since then. Last week they finished draping a cable mesh net over the slide in order to keep loose debris from falling onto the road. The have removed all the specialized aerial gear and are doing just groundwork. Drivers were seeing sometimes 45-minute delays but Caltrans says now they should only be 10 to 15 minutes.

The State Assembly Select Committee on Economic Development and investment on Rural California is having an informational workshop this (Tuesday) afternoon and the agenda includes an section called “Broadband: An Actual Lifetime”. Eric Brown, who is the CEO of California Telehealth Network, is presenting it. It is scheduled from 2pm-230pm. The Mendocino Broadband Alliance encourages you to stream it from to www.assembly.ca.gov under “Daily Hearings”. The next Broadband Alliance meeting is on Friday September 8th at 10 am at the Community Foundation in Ukiah.

Two men have been arrested after shots were fired in a neighborhood of Ukiah. Police say several shots were heard on Waugh Lane and that’s where officers found brothers Roman and Miguel Maciel. Cops say the brothers, who seemed drunk, were arguing when Roman went into a home then came out with a bolt-action rifle and fired four shots into the ground. Turns out Miguel had a warrant for his arrest for violation of a court order and Roman was on probation. Roman arrested for negligent discharge of a firearm, violation of probation and public intoxication. Miguel arrested for public intoxication and the warrant.

A Robinson Rancheria home is damaged after a fire broke out. Northshore Firefighters got there yesterday morning finding some neighbors near the Meadowlark Circle home by the casino had partially put it out. Lake County News reports Cal Fire and US Forest Service firefighters also came out in case it became a brush fire. Forward movement was stopped within 30 minutes. The fire damage was limited to one bedroom but there was smoke damage throughout the house, so the Red Cross was helping the two women, one man and their dog. The cause is under investigation but the Chief says that have not yet found an obvious source.

A candlelight vigil is planned for the Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy who died on the job last week. Rob Rumfelt had a heart attack while responded to a call last Tuesday. The vigil is tonight at 8 p.m. at Library Park. The public is invited to attend and they can bring a candle or use the light on their cell phone or a small flashlight if they want. No candles will be distributed at the vigil.

The majority of the state’s groundwater basins meet a deadline for mandated sustainability agencies. More than 99 percent of California’s high and medium priority groundwater basins have formed their local groundwater sustainability agencies that falls under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 or SGMA. SGMA meant their had to be local groundwater sustainability agencies, or GSAs for more than 125 high and medium priority groundwater basins by the end of this past June. Medium basins in Lake County include the Big Valley and Scotts Valley basins. Most of the yearly water supply in Calif. comes from groundwater. 99% of the agencies have met the key deadline to comply.

A man in Clearlake who was the victim of an assault in Lower Lake last week is still in the hospital recovering. One person has been arrested, but police say they’re still looking for another suspect in the beating last Friday night of 24 year old Cody Myrick. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office reports Lorenzo Reyes Cespedes of Lucerne was arrested but they’re still on the lookout for Elijah Cain Ward. They say Myrick was attacked Friday night out in front of Maynard’s Bar in Lower Lake, where a patrol deputy found him laying unconscious. People at the bar gave police descriptions of the attackers. Cespedes has been charged with assault with great bodily injury and battery with serious bodily injury. He posted the needed percentage of his bail to get out. He’s due back in court in October. A go fund me account has been set up for the victim’s medical bills.

A Republican running for Governor in Calif is accused of not paying some taxes. Candidate Travis Allen, who’s also a state assemblyman has launched a ballot initiative to repeal California’s new gas tax. He also says he’ll cut state taxes if he’s elected because, quote “Californians pay among the highest taxes in the entire nation”. But now a report about Allen says he missed paying about $42,000 in federal income tax for 2012 and 2013 which the Internal Revenue Service filed a tax lien against. He did pay it back after the lien hit in January. The lien was released in May. A spokesperson for his gubernatorial campaign says the late taxes were because of a wrong address the IRS had after Allen moved his business and home.

The body of a man missing in Lake Tahoe since June has been found. The El Dorado County Sherriff’s Office says the nonprofit Bruce’s Legacy out of Wisconsin found the man’s body Saturday. 41-year-old Dan Pham of San Leandro had been missing since the first week of June. The nonprofit reported finding Pham’s body using a "state-of-the-art" sonar machine. They then brought the man’s body up with a remotely operated underwater vehicle. Apparently this nonprofit has found 18 drowning victims over four years.

A bill has been fast tracked by some state Democrats which Republicans reportedly say is to help protect a lawmaker who faces recall. Republicans are trying to get Senator Josh Newman recalled for voting to raise the gas tax. But Democrats need him in office to preserve their Senate supermajority. A petition with more than the needed 63,000 signatures for the recall has been processed. Now voters will decide if they want to remove their signature on that recall petition under this new fast tracked bill. It was passed by both chambers last Thursday and immediately signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. Newman, for his part, says those who signed the recall petition were tricked into thinking they were signing a petition to get the new gas tax repealed, not recall a lawmaker. He says he’s now gathered more than 2,200 declarations from voters who want their names removed.

A bike rider who was the victim of a fatal hit and run near Guerneville has been identified. The CHP reports Christopher Patti, was a widely respected chief campus counsel at UC Berkeley. Cops are still searching for the driver who hit Patti in a Black BMW while he was on his bike on the shoulder of Highway 116. Police say they’re searching for Jonathan Ritter of Rio Nido and Monte Rio as a person of interest. Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ released a statement saying how grief‑stricken they were for Patti’s untimely death. Patti worked as UC Berkeley’s top lawyer since 2010. Police say Patti had pulled over to the side of the road to look at his phone when the Beemer lost control around a curve and hit him.

An Australian teacher is recovering after he was hit by a bolt of lightning. Mathias Steinhuber says there was no rain, no loud thunder or any indication of what was to come. He was tossed to the ground, had his clothes torn off and a burnt hole in one shoe. He’s apparently an avid hiker who had just gotten to a 9,000 foot summit along the Pacifica Crest Trail in Northern Calif. and raised his arms for a victory picture when he was hit in the back of his head. The bold shot thru his body and went out his foot. He says it felt like a dream, he woke up, saw blood all around him and found his clothes ripped from his body.

A couple of military veterans from Northern Calif. say they’re headed to Texas to help with Hurricane Harvey cleanup and rescues. Aaron Baker of Grass Valley and Kevin Delong of Rancho Cordova are going to Houston to help. Delong says he wants to help, saying he thinks there’s a lack of human kindness so he wants to show, quote “help thy neighbor, help the community. I think that’s important.” The duo say they’ll stay in Houston for five days, but they’re flexible with time, if they have to stay longer. Baker says he was impacted by the amount of human suffering he’s seen in reports, which calls on him to help. Baker and Delong served together in Iraq from 1996 to 2000.

Two brothers are under arrest after shots were fired in a Ukiah neighborhood Sunday afternoon. Police say several shots were heard on Waugh Lane where officers found brothers Roman and Miguel Maciel. Ukiah Police say the brothers, who appeared to be drunk, had been arguing when Roman went into his home came out with a bolt-action rifle and fired four shots into the ground. Turns out Miguel had a warrant for his arrest for violation of a court order and Roman was on probation. Roman arrested for negligent discharge of a firearm, violation of probation and public intoxication. Miguel arrested for public intoxication and the warrant.

A Robinson Rancheria home as been damaged by fire. Northshore Firefighters responded around 930am (Monday) to the home on Meadowlark Circle by the casino. The Chief tells Lake County News some neighbors had partially knocked it down before they got there; Cal Fire and US Forest Service firefighters also came out in case it became a brush fire. It was stopped within 30 minutes. The fire damage was limited to one bedroom but there is smoke damage all through the house so the Red Cross was helping the two women, one man and their dog. The cause is under investigation but the Chief says that have not yet found an obvious source.

Insurance cancellations by Anthem Blue Cross of California announced earlier this month will reportedly not affect Mendocino County residents who use the state’s Affordable Health Care Act exchange. Anthem is ending its individual coverage in most of the state in 2018, which means the end of coverage for about 60,000 people who use Covered California. Rep. Jared Huffman tells the Ukiah Daily Journal about 5000 people in Sonoma and Marin counties will be affected, but they have more choices on the exchange than Mendocino. Insurance plans for 2018 will be available on the California marketplace starting November 1. Huffman meanwhile has introduced a bill to lower the Medicare eligibility threshold to 50 and offer a buy-in that would avoid a sudden increase in premiums later in life.

A couple of Sunday fires were knocked out pretty quickly in Lake County. One called The Water incident was reported around 11:15 a.m., on a hillside at the entrance to the Double Eagle Ranch subdivision east of Clearlake Oaks. The North Shore Fire Deputy Chief told Lake Co News it was about 30 yards up Water trough Road, right off of Highway 20. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office issued a Nixle alert urging residents in the subdivision to evacuate. The fire burned between three and four acres of grass; no homes were burned and it was 100-percent contained by afternoon after which the evacuees were allowed back home. The cause is still under investigation. Then around noon a fire was reported in the area of Larkspur Way and Emerald Drive in the Clear Lake Riviera. The small vegetation fire did not hit any structures and was contained in under an hour after burning about a quarter-acre of grass.

There is a candlelight vigil tomorrow night to remember Lake County Deputy Rob Rumfelt who died in the line of duty last week. The vigil will be held Tuesday at 8 pm at Library Park in Lakeport. The public is invited to attend. They ask you bring your own candle, use the light on their cell phone, or bring a small flashlight as there will not be any candles available at the vigil. There is also a public viewing scheduled for this Friday September 1st at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary in Lakeport, from 12 noon to 8 pm. The memorial service for Deputy Rumfelt will be held Saturday September 9th at Clear Lake High School’s Don Owens Stadium at 10:00am .

A local business is sponsoring a contest with a $500 cash award for a Mendocino County student who writes the best essay based on a booklet written by a Ukiah man who is serving a prison sentence. The Daily Journal reports All-in-One Towing in Ukiah is offering the money for the contest sponsored by the county’s Juvenile Justice Commission. The contest is open to students 12 to 18 years old. It is the brainchild of John Azzaro who works with CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocates – and the Juvenile Justice Commission. The book, called “Inside / Outside: Your Choice” was written by John Mendoza, who stabbed a man and was convicted of second degree murder. He is currently at Solano State Prison. The book recounts John’s days growing up in Ukiah and what he now calls the poor choices he made as a teenager, and how those bad choices led to others and ultimately his conviction. Essays based on the book must be received by Sept. 30 at the Juvenile Justice offices on Low Gap Road in Ukiah. Copies of the book are available at the CASA office, Willits Library, and Mendocino Book Company.

The Mendocino College Foundation says their annual Gala held Aug. 12 raised $125,000. Over 400 guests attended the fundraiser in support of student scholarships and book awards to students attending a Mendocino College campus in Ukiah, Willits, Lakeport and Fort Bragg. This year’s event was a partnership between the Mendocino College Foundation and the Mendocino Wine Growers. And it featured an auction with guest auctioneer Sen. Mike McGuire who raised $28,000 to fund a new scoreboard for the College’s baseball field.

There will be a candlelight vigil on Tuesday August 29th to remember Deputy Rob Rumfelt who died in the line of duty Tuesday. The vigil will be held at Library Park in Lakeport. The Vigil will begin at 8pm and the public is invited to attend. Those attending may bring their own candle, or use the light on their cell phone, or a small flashlight. There will not be any candles available at the vigil. There is also a public viewing scheduled at Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary in Lakeport on Friday September 1st from 12 noon to 8pm. The memorial service for Deputy Rumfelt will be held at Clear Lake High School’s Don Owens Stadium in Lakeport on Saturday, September 9th. The service is scheduled to begin promptly at 10:00AM.

Two men are arrested after a Thursday evening incident in Vineyard Park near Elm Street. Ukiah Police got a call that someone had been shot so all available units responded along with Mendocino deputies and DA’s Investigators. Leon Marks of Ukiah was found in possession of a CO2 pellet gun that resembled a semi-auto handgun as well as large straight bladed knife. Jesse Lawrence of Potter Valley was found with an illegal expandable baton. Police say the two were arguing when they each pulled their weapons and Marks allegedly shot Lawrence with the pellet gun. Marks was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and brandishing a weapon. Lawrence was arrested for possession of the illegal expandable baton. Neither was seriously hurt and both were hauled to the jail.

A stolen vehicle has been recovered after a car chase in Ukiah. Tuesday morning a Ukiah Police Detective spotted a car on Old River Road at Tindall Ranch Road that he watched the description of one he knew to be stolen, so he followed and called it in. Once UPD patrol officers joined the driver took off and led them on a high-speed pursuit throughout Ukiah. When on Talmage Road the driver tried to swerve around traffic, and collided with a large flatbed truck and a pickup. Joshua Torres arrested for reckless evading and was found to be on felony probation for prior drug offences and had an active warrant. Neither of the drivers whose trucks he hit was hurt. The car he was had been stolen out of Lake County